It is well recognised that chronic exposure to air pollution can lead to increased morbidity and mortality.

Air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide induce inflammation and oxidative stress and weakening of the immune system leading to increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, especially asthma among children whose lungs are more sensitive to air pollution than adults.

Transport is a major contributor to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector have more than doubled since 1970, with around 80% of this increase coming from road vehicles. Transport is Tasmania’s second-highest emitting sector, responsible for 22% of Tasmania’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 and cars are responsible for 41.3% of it.

Unfortunately, our society is increasingly more reliant on cars. According to the Australia Motor Vehicle Census in 2021, more vehicles are registered in Australia every year, with 20.1 million registered vehicles in 2021 and 26.4% of these are diesel vehicles, up from 20.9% in 2016. While it is encouraging that the Australian electric vehicles (EVs) fleet has roughly doubled each year since 2020, EVs still represent less than 0.5% of the vehicles.

Tasmania’s love affair with cars is still growing, 516,451 motor vehicles were registered in 2021, a 79% increase from 2010, and Tasmania has the highest number of vehicles per 1000 people of any state (885 vehicles compared to 771/1000 national average). Tasmania also has the oldest car fleet (average age 12.8 years compared to 10.1 years national average), with fewer EVs, 3.7% in 2022.

All of these are contributing to increased traffic congestion and air pollution. Some people are interested in getting an electric car, but the concerns of cost and whether there will be access to a charging station prevent many people from being able to choose this low-carbon option.

There is an urgent need to decrease transport emissions and reduce air pollution for the protection of human health and future diseases. Tasmania’s carbon emissions dropped below zero in 2014 due partly to the significant increase in the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and its storage in forests and soil. However, unless we take urgent steps to reduce transport emissions, Tasmania will likely return to positive emissions.

The best and healthier option is to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, which is the best way to take more cars off the road. Public transport can move more people in fewer vehicles, which is good for clean air and reducing carbon pollution emissions. However, we need to make public transport more efficient, reliable, and cheaper than using cars. Public and active transport offer the potential to provide both transport emissions reductions, cost savings, and public health benefits.

Following the introduction of stamp duty and registration fee exemptions in 2021, the Tasmanian Government has been trying to support EVs uptake and installation of charging infrastructure and is working towards an all-electric government fleet by 2030.

We need collaboration across all governments and society to deal with the challenges and opportunities that are presented by air pollution. We need to offer Tasmanians real choices for safe walking and cycling tracks, efficient public transport, and good, affordable, no-emissions cars. Making informed lifestyle choices when it comes to transport can help us reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.